Lacrosse drive hits economic wall

The Oregon High School Lacrosse Association will delay its efforts to gain recognition from the governing body for high school sports in the state in deference to the recession and the resulting budget crunch in school districts across Oregon.

The proposal to make lacrosse an official sport in the state was originally intended for presentation at the Oregon State Athletic Association delegate assembly meeting Monday in Portland, according to OHSLA Commissioner Dale Waagmeester. Waagmeester said lacrosse boosters recognized the financial burden another spring sport could place on school districts that are already trimming budgets.

Trying to push such a proposal through at the April meeting could potentially be disastrous from a public relations standpoint, said OHSLA board member Kris Van Hatcher, who authored the original proposal.

"With the economy the way it is, we think it would be wise to wait," said Van Hatcher, former lacrosse coach and current athletic director at Oregon Episcopal School. "We don't want to go out there and get people upset and have people say, 'Another sport? Right now? Are you kidding?'"

Under OSAA rules, schools wouldn't be required to carry a lacrosse team if the sport is sanctioned. How teams are funded is also up to individual school districts, meaning the actual cost to district budgets of a new program is uncertain.

A study conducted by the Beaverton school district in spring of 2008 put the cost at $488,187 for full funding of new boys and girls lacrosse teams at the district's five high schools -- nearly $100,000 per school -- according to regional administrator Ralph Riden, who conducted the study. The estimate included the hiring of coaches, facility maintenance, equipment, game management, officiating and fee coverage for students unable to afford registration fees.

Riden said the annual cost could drop by around 20 percent (about $100,000) from the initial investment, depending on equipment durability and other factors.

According to Gresham Athletic Director Randy Williams, even if a new lacrosse team's coaching staff and equipment were completely parent and fundraiser sponsored, school districts would have other costs such as insurance for coaches, which can often cost as much or more than a salary. Williams said the extra money, at least in his budget, isn't there.

"When you start up one sport you're going to have to take away from another sport, and then we have a problem," Williams said. "I don't think anyone, anywhere in the state, can afford to add a new sport right now."

The sport has built up some momentum over the past decade in Oregon, with college and high school programs popping up around the state. OSAA Executive Director Tom Welter said that lacrosse was on the board's radar before the recent budget crunch.

"Had the economy not headed south, I think (the proposal) would've had a decent chance," he said. "But right now, most of our school districts can't afford what they already have."

Waagmeester said he doesn't see this decision to stand pat rather than push forward as a detriment to the sport's regional momentum. Conversely, Waagmeester said he believes any push right now to get the sport sanctioned could quash what positive momentum the sport has been able to cultivate.

"We thought it might be deemed arrogant to come out demanding money from athletic departments that are already obviously struggling," he said. "We thought it might create a few hard feelings."